Statement by the President

Today the American people are pleased that we will be able to welcome home Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, held captive for nearly five years. On behalf of the American people, I was honored to call his parents to express our joy that they can expect his safe return, mindful of their courage and sacrifice throughout this ordeal. Today we also remember the many troops held captive and whom remain missing or unaccounted for in America’s past wars. Sergeant Bergdahl’s recovery is a reminder of America’s unwavering commitment to leave no man or woman in uniform behind on the battlefield. And as we find relief in Bowe’s recovery, our thoughts and prayers are with those other Americans whose release we continue to pursue.

For his assistance in helping to secure our soldier’s return, I extend my deepest appreciation to the Amir of Qatar. The Amir’s personal commitment to this effort is a testament to the partnership between our two countries. The United States is also grateful for the support of the Government of Afghanistan throughout our efforts to secure Sergeant Bergdahl’s release.

This week the United States renewed its commitment to the Afghan people and made clear that we will continue to support them as their chart their own future. The United States also remains committed to supporting an Afghan-led reconciliation process as the surest way to achieve a stable, secure, sovereign, and unified Afghanistan. While we are mindful of the challenges, it is our hope Sergeant Bergdahl’s recovery could potentially open the door for broader discussions among Afghans about the future of their country by building confidence that it is possible for all sides to find common ground.

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Welcome home, Sergeant Bergdahl. Today we are elated about his return and reaffirm our commitment to recover the warriors still left behind.

“We were so joyful and relieved when President Obama called us today to give us the news that Bowe is finally coming home! We cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son. We want to thank Bowe’s many supporters in Idaho, around the nation and around the world. We thank the Amir of Qatar for his efforts. And of course, we want to take this opportunity to thank all those in the many U.S. Government agencies who never gave up. Today, we are ecstatic!”

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Sobbing for joy about what happens when leaders talk instead of fight @BarackObama & the Amir of Qatar. #BoweBergdahl coming home at last.

The only American solider held prisoner in Afghanistan has been freed and is back in U.S. custody after nearly five years of captivity, U.S. officials said Saturday.

The officials said the Taliban agreed to turn over Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in exchange for the release of five Afghan detainees from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The transfers happened after a week of intense negotiations mediated by the government of Qatar, which will take custody of the Afghans.

A senior Defense Department official told CBS News Bergdahl was rescued by special operations forces in eastern Afghanistan, though he was believed to be held in Pakistan. The transfer took place quickly and without incident. There were approximately 18 Taliban on site.

According to a senior defense official traveling with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in Singapore, once Bergdahl climbed onto the noisy helicopter he took a pen and wrote on a paper plate, the letters “SF?” – asking the troops if they were special operations forces.

They shouted back at him over the roar of the rotors: “Yes, we’ve been looking for you for a long time.”

Chips, I’m not calling names and I don’t want to tattle but someone on one of the threads was complaining bitterly, accusing Danny of eating their posts. But I’m not one to blab…you didn’t hear this from me.

Great, great thing to have happen to this family. I’m so glad our president persevered and called the parents personally. Out of the gloominess of yesterday’s news, our president has today brought us light.

Once again our Great President keeps on, keeps on, working hard, getting the job done while having to deal with a house full of screaming temper tantrum throwing people in DC, congress critters, the press, others that think they know more. How many congress people, Reps and Senators have been contacted regarding our Vets and did nothing. I want DOJ to do deep investigation, not Issa folly, and pull their pants down in public.

So glad this young soldier is back! President Obama is always working behind the scenes to do what is right. I know this young man being in Pakistan/Afghanistan as a prisoner has weighed on him. No theatrics, no jumping on aircraft carriers, just hard, diplomatic work! Bravo!

When I looked at the young mans’ picture quickly, he looked so much like my son at that age! Every mother’s nightmare…..so relieved for his family today.

Bless you President Obama, for always doing the right thing in the face of haters, for caring so much for our country that you persist in what is right.

I see the Repubs have received their talking points memo, and the order is to accuse the president of “negotiating with terrorists”. Repubs are beginning to emerge to express their rage and make this charge. See McCain will be on Face The Nation tomorrow, not that anyone watches, but I bet there was a fight with all the Sun. shows to snag that live one, the angriest of birds. Stir up some controversy. And so it goes. Maybe they should ask the parents of released soldier to respond, if their mad or glad that their son is coming home after 5 years.

Good Day Todders:-)
Hope you all having a wonderful Saturday… My heart was aching and cried for our President..but the release of this POW made my heart smile:-)
He keeps on moving forward doing the people’s work. God Bless him and his beautiful family….
Much Love to you all ((hugs))

We say "The lion does not turn around when a small dog barks" African Proverb
 and it so true of PBO…. Bless Him! pic.twitter.com/VKIVX0qgN7

1. the VA WORKS.
Now, it has its issues and its problems, mainly that it’s underfunded and we had two wars for a long time, and quite frankly, the medicine being done in the VA is at the top of the world and is keeping alive soldiers that probably would have been dead as recently as Gulf War I.

So, we have a lot of maimed soldiers that would have been dead, and the system is being overloaded.

The VA works, IMO, because even with its flaws, it does take a ‘ holistic’ approach towards the care of our veterans, not only treating the physical, but the emotional. Could they do better, of course they could, but they take a more aggressive approach in linking the mental with the physical than ANYTHING done in the private sector, But, Mental health is expensive, and Lord knows the GOP doesn’t like anything that costs money that goes to the little guy,

The VA is also proof that socialized medicine WORKS, because it’s the closest thing to socialized medicine that we have in this country, which is another reason why the GOP has long wanted to undermine it.

2. This President’s ability to curb the Military Industrial Complex.

This President’s unwillingness to jump into war after war, as the GOP, and their defense contractor masters IRATE.

Make no mistake, with a President Hillary or God Forbid, a President McCain, we would have been in

Iran
Libya
Syria
Ukraine

President Obama stopped all that shyt and they hate him for it.

3. The First Lady’s dedication to Military families.

Make no mistake, they absolutely despise everything that this First Lady and Dr. Biden have done for the troops – the common man troops – and their families.

They complain about everything this President and First Lady do, after all, their asses voted just this week to make sure that kids can stay fat, and that our schools can make them fatter.

But, even they know, if their asses had showed how they really feel about being in opposition to everything POTUS and FLOTUS do, people will ask them, why are they against helping the troops.

After all, and I’ve written this on many occasions, one of my hardest pet peeves, is that the GOP wraps their asses in the flag and phony ass patriotism, all the while taking votes that deny any and everything to the common troops on the ground. Country Last’s anti- common troop vote didn’t begin with filibustering the 21 Billion that the President asked for last year. He has a long history of many votes against the common troops, as do all of them, and it would only take some real ass reporting for that to be said by any of those idiots in the MSM.

This ‘ scandal’ is the first way that they’ve had to attack this President on his dedication to the military, which they haven’t been able to touch because of the President and First Lady’s dedication to the troops since he became President.

3. They absolutely, positively despise that this President has taken away from them their foreign policy club. Not only did he snatch it away from them, he bitchslaps them all the time with it, and they loathe him for it.

4. The VA is the largest single insurer across the country. There’s nothing that the GOP doesn’t want to privatize. And with the OBVIOUS success of Obamacare, they are desperate for anything to hurt this President. And they don’t give two shyts if they hurt veterans care. They could care less about them.

Folks need to stay on this and check any muthafucka that opens their mouths about privatizing the VA, bringing up their funding voting records for the VA.

This is righteous, Rikyrah, amen. Yes, yes and yes… which is why I was devastated when they released that poll showing the majority of the military preferring GHBush as their Commander In Chief. Honestly, that was when I was done. f*k ‘em. I’m a muuuch lesser person than PBO and FLOTUS.

Now if it was your child, would you want someone trying to set him free, to bring him home. These are the same Republicans who act like they were sorry that bin Laden were killed, not because they cared about bin Laden, but because they hated to see POTUS succeed, or get any credit. How sick is that?